
Major aluminium producers have offered Japanese buyers premiums of USD 310-325 per tonne for primary aluminium shipments in the October-December quarter. The bar is 18-22 per cent lower than the USD 395 per tonne premium agreed for the current July-September quarter. The premium paid by Japanese...
Asia’s alumina exports entered 2026 on a strong footing, with shipments to global markets reaching 7.05 million tonnes worth USD 2.76 billion in H1 2026 , up 27.36 per cent year-on-year . The sharp rise in H1 was driven by a quarter-on-quarter surge by a considerable margin. This indicates an...
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For the second consecutive quarter, the premium offered by Japan’s primary aluminium buyers has further depleted, said two sources directly involved in quarterly pricing talks. Mirroring a similar20 per cent decline as seen in the previous quarter, the proposed premium for Q3 2025 has reached USD...

In the first quarter of 2025, the global electric vehicle (EV) battery market experienced a considerable surge, with total installed capacity reaching 221.8 GWh, which is a 38.8 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2024. Today, we delve into the leading brands and their performance in...

In a quiet alley in Fukuoka’s Minami Ward, what began as a routine garbage patrol turned into a tense showdown. “You’re not allowed to take that!” howled a Fukuoka city employee, catching a man red-handed with a bag of non-burnable waste stuffed with aluminium cans. The man lunged, shoving the...

As of the end of April 2025, aluminium inventories at Japan’s three major ports — Yokohama, Nagoya and Osaka — have reached 320,300 tonnes, up 3.4 per cent from March’s 309,700 tonnes, according to Marubeni Corp data. In parallel, as disclosed previously, the import premium for primary aluminium...

Hong Kong-based aluminium company Kam Pin Industrial is expanding into the US market, urging overseas partners to remain their allies despite ongoing China-US trade tensions. Kam Pin Industrial is a rising leader in producing aluminium curtain walls for architectural exteriors. Image source:...

Canada’s manufacturing sector posted modest overall growth in February, but the aluminium and alumina industry carried the weight. According to Statistics Canada, total manufacturing sales rose by 0.2 per cent to CAD 72.9 billion, the sector’s highest level since September 2023. The increase was...

Marumae Co., Ltd., a key producer of aluminium products like slabs, alloys, billets and high-purity aluminium ingots, has successfully acquired 100 per cent shares of Japan-based company KM Aluminium Co. Ltd. The acquisition agreement, initially signed on March 4, 2025, is coming into effect on...

After an initial aggressive uptick at the beginning of March, the premium for Japanese aluminium’s outbound trade during the second Quarter of 2025 (April to June) has reportedly crashed to USD 182 per tonne, which is clearly a 20 per cent decrease from the past quarter (Q1’25), reveals six sources...

Quaker Houghton, a global leader in industrial process fluids made an announcement of a strategic acquisition on March 25, 2025. The company has entered into a purchase agreement for acquiring a leading supplier of plating solutions and surface treatment, Dipsol Chemicals Co., Ltd. Subject to...

A leading global aluminium manufacturing giant has recently sought a premium of USD 260 per tonne from Japanese buyers for April-June (Q2) primary metal shipments, which is a notable 14 per cent increase from the current quarter (Q1, 2025). This development is nothing but a ripple effect of the...

Japan has officially requested an exemption from US President Donald Trump’s proposed 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium, as well as other reciprocal tariffs, according to a report from Tokyo-based Kyodo News. Meanwhile, Vietnam is prepared to engage with the United States to discuss the...

The newly re-elected President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, on February 10, 2025, signed executive orders to enforce a 25 per cent tariff on aluminium and steel imports starting March 12, 2025, under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, escalating a long-anticipated...

Japan’s aluminium industry in 2024 has been a tale of two contrasting trends—rising primary aluminium imports but weakening domestic demand. While imports grew by 1.9 per cent to 1.05 million tonnes, domestic consumption continued to decline, especially in key sectors such as construction and...

Daiki Aluminium, a Japanese aluminium manufacturer specialising in producing secondary alloys used in high-pressure die casting, casting, and rolling, has reportedly seen a 5.6 per cent year-on-year rise in net sales during the first nine months of 2024, which ended December 31. But despite the...

Mixed-Up Cocktail Co. (Mixed-Up), the creator and producer of bold, Ready-to-Drink (RTD) aluminium canned craft cocktails, has announced the plan to expand its facility further in 2025. According to IWSR's RTDs Strategic Study 2024, demand for ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages grew by an average of 2...

According to Platts assessment, a division of S&P Global, the premium for Japanese primary aluminium imports in the first quarter of 2025 stands at $228 per tonne over the London Metal Exchange cash price, reflecting a 30.29 per cent rise from $175 per tonne in Q4 2024. Image source: Sumitomo...

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University (TMU), a public research university in Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan, have developed cutting-edge nanostructured alumina surfaces that deliver remarkable antibacterial resistance while promoting the healthy growth of cultured cells. The team used advanced...

Ricoh Company, Ltd., headquartered in Kanagawa, Japan, has introduced an innovative process to join aluminium components produced through Binder Jetting (BJT) with wrought aluminium alloys. Metal Binder Jetting is a highly efficient and cost-effective Additive Manufacturing (AM) technique, suitable...